An unsung weapon in the New Orleans Saints' passing attack is coming back on a three-year deal
The New Orleans Saints come into the 2025 NFL offseason with a first-time head coach, a big question mark at quarterback and not a whole lot of money to spend, but even in their rough financial state, the one-time powerhouse of the NFC South has found ways to make moves around the margins in the opening days of March. Tyrann Mathieu will return home for another season, Chase Young will be returning too, and for the price of a 2026 7th round pick, Davon Godcheaux is heading to NOLA from New England.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Saints haven't done much this offseason to give new head coach Kellen Moore anything new or exciting to work with, but as of Tuesday afternoon, the team has ensured that a solid contributor would be returning.
Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Saints and tight end Juwan Johnson have agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth up to $34.5 million, with $21.25 guaranteed.
The New Jersey native arrived in New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 2020, and spent the majority of his first NFL season hanging around on the Saints' practice squad. But over the last few years, Johnson has developed into a reliable secondary pass-catching option. Since the 2022 season, he's hauled in 129 receptions for 1,424 yards and 14 touchdowns, and in 2024, his 75.8% catch percentage was sixth-best among tight ends with at least 50 receptions.
Even with Johnson returning to New Orleans, it doesn't necessarily mean that the Saints won't consider using the 9th overall pick on Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, especially with Taysom Hill recovering from a torn ACL. Just one week ago, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said the following about Warren when projecting the All-American to New Orleans:
“Tyler Warren is really fun to watch, and he could do a bit of everything in the New Orleans offense,” Kiper stated. “New coach Kellen Moore has traditionally leaned on the tight end position with his offenses, too.”
Saints hold off other teams to re-sign tight end Juwan Johnson
The New Orleans Saints haven’t added many new names in free agency yet, but they’re making sure to retain their top guys. On Monday, the team re-signed defensive end Chase Young to a three-year deal, and on Tuesday, New Orleans did the same with tight end Juwan Johnson. The veteran tight end has reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $30.75 million, with $21.25 million guaranteed.
This is a big re-signing for the Saints, because Johnson had interest from other teams, and if he would’ve moved on to one of those teams, New Orleans would’ve lost its top tight end. Instead, the veteran will remain in New Orleans and be a part of the Kellen Moore era.
